Democrats must be prepared to get what they ask for, demanding that 71-year-old former National Security Adviser John Bolton be allowed to testify in the impeachment trial of 73-year-old President Donald Trump. Democrats led by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and House Judiciary Chairman Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.) insist that for the trial to be “fair,” they need to hear from Bolton whose revenge book, “The Room where it happened” about Trump’s July 25 phone call with 40-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is slated for release March 17. Democrats despised Bolton when he served as Trump’s National Security Adviser. Bolton was seen as Trump’s “boogeyman,” slamming him for his belligerent foreign policy rhetoric. Whether admitted to or not by Democrats and press, Bolton as fired by Trump Sept. 10, 2019 for his war-like rhetoric.
Yet suddenly Democrats and the press fell in love with Bolton, thinking he’s their star witness to corroborate Trump’s quid pro quo, to obtain dirt on the Bidens in exchange for military aid. While Bolton, who held a top security job as National Security Adviser, now writes a tell-all book for a hefty sum to retaliate against Trump for his unceremonious dismissal. If Democrats get their way for Bolton gets to testify, Trump’s defense team will get 77-year-old former President Joe Biden and his 50-year-old son, Hunter to testify as well. Despite networks salivating at the prospects of Bolton’s testimony, it’s highly unlikely it would be in public session. Far more likely is that Bolton will get to speak in mind behind closed doors, the same with Joe and Hunter Biden, unless Republicans demand otherwise. For U.S. national security, there’s plenty of reason to keep Bolton’s testimony closed.
Democrats want Bolton’s testimony to corroborate testimony of 71-year-old U.S. Ukraine Amb. William Taylor who testified Nov. 13, 2019 in the House Judiciary Committee that he thought it was a bad precedent for Trump to hold up Ukraine’s military aid for political reasons. Taylor’s testimony backed up testimony of 62-year-old European Union Amb. Gordon Sondland, also testifying that holding up Ukraine military aid was a bad idea. But unlike Taylor and Sondland’s testimony, Bolton’s testimony would be tainted by his animus against Trump, not to mention he was paid a hefty sum for his book. Democrats and the press want Bolton’s testimony knowing he’s a highly impeachable witness. “I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens,” Trump tweeted, preempting Bolton’s expected close door testimony.
When you consider the real quid pro quo in getting Bolton to testify behind closed doors, Trump would get Joe and Hunter Biden exactly where he wants them. Biden said January 23 he would refuse to testify in Trump’s impeachment trial. “The reason I would not make the deal, the bottom line is, this is a Constitutional issue,” Biden said. “We’re not going to turn it into a farce or political theater. I want no part of that,” giving his reasons for refusing to testify. Yet if Democrats wanted to avoid political theater, they certainly wouldn’t want Bolton, who’s got an ax to grind against Trump. Democrats are kidding themselves thinking they’ll get Bolton to testify without Joe and Hunter Biden doing the same. Biden wants to avoid testifying because it’s obvious as Vice President he got his son Hunter a sweetheart deal working for a corrupt Ukrainian energy company at $50,000 to $150,000 a month.
Trump’s defense team would make mincemeat of Bolton’s testimony, now that he’s gone public to retaliate against Trump. “In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book,” Trump said. Corroborating other prosecution witnesses, Bolton’s testimony would add nothing to Democrats’ impeachment case, knowing that the Trump team argues that whatever happened in the July 25, 2019 with Zelensky, it doesn’t rise to an impeachable offense. Trump’s defense team argues that Democrats looked for anything with which to impeach Trump after the March 23, 2019 Special Counsel Mueller Report cleared Trump and his legal team of colluding with Russian to help him win the 2016 presidential election. Mueller’s Final Report was a blow to Democrats impeachment case, until they found their “whistleblower.”
Accused of “bribery, treason and other high-crimes-and-misdemeanors,” House Democrats only charged Trump Dec. 13 with (1) abuse of power and (2) obstruction of Congress. Dershowitz will argue that Trump’s July 25, 2019 call with Zelensky doesn’t rise to an impeachable offense. House Democrats argue that they have the Article 2 Constitutional right to charge Trump with whatever they like. Bolton’s likely closed-door testimony opens up a can of worms for Democrats, when Republicans insist that the Bidens must also testify about their involvement in Ukraine. Senate Republicans wanting to hear form Bolton know that he’s an impeachable witness, given he’s taken money for his salacious “firsthand” account in, “The Room Where It Happened.” Whatever Bolton testifies against Trump, he can’t prove that Trump’s motive was to gain an unfair advantage in the 2020 election.
